Milwaukee - Emergency rooms at many Milwaukee area hospitals are being inundated with older patients who have severe flu-like symptoms. Over the past 10 days, many of those emergency departments have been forced to divert incoming ambulances to other hospitals. A Milwaukee Health Department official says five to eight of Milwaukee County's 11 hospitals have reported rolling diversions - temporary, periodic shutdowns of emergency departments except for life-threatening cases - because staff and beds are strained by an influx of patients hit hard with the flu.
Other cities around Wisconsin have not reported hospitals being inundated with influenza cases yet.